First Step
by Chefnem
Summary: ONE SHOT - "Even if she had repeated them all day, the words suddenly didn't sound so right anymore. She tried not to shake but it was hard as she had never done this for anyone before." Written for the KaiRuki FC at BA.


**A/N:** Tada! Here's my small giveaway for the KaiRuki Fan Club at BleachAsylum, on the occasion of Kaien's anniversary! (You can check the FC for more goodies & interesting posts!)

I'd like to thank **Pixie-Lips** from DeviantArt for her tremendous help! She kindly beta-read it a first time. I thus followed her corrections & suggestions, rewrote it and added chunks. Unfortunately, this current hasn't been revised yet, I apologize in advance for the mistakes you'll find as English isn't my first language (yes, I'm making excuses D:).  
>EDIT: Corrections have been done!<p>

I hope you enjoy it!

PS: Totally forgot to say Miyako never existed and sorry for the OOC-ness!**  
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><p><strong>Disclaimer: BLEACH including its characters Rukia Kuchiki and Kaien Shiba is the property of Tite Kubo. No money was made writing this fanfiction, its sole purpose is fun.<strong>

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**First step**

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Kuchiki Rukia was not a cook. She had never actually cooked, not even for herself. When she was little, she used to steal food when no one pitied her. From time to time, when the owner of the poorest noodles restaurant was feeling sorry for her, he would let her have a steaming bowl of soup. If she was lucky, she could have a few pieces of raw and slightly stinky meat. It was not much, but, at that moment, it was sufficient.

Today, on the other hand, was a different matter. She had to learn now. And quickly. She had only heard about Shiba Kaien's upcoming birthday the day before. Luckily, she remembered every word from Kiyone and went shopping.

Rukia wasn't used to spend money; she didn't have to. Being a Kuchiki, she had only got her duty as a Shinigami to fulfill. Apart from that, she didn't do much. When she wasn't on mission, she was practicing. When she wasn't practicing, she was helping her comrades.

In fact, it was her first time ever buying something. She knew the system, as she had seen people do such transactions before. Still, her insecurity wasn't willing to go away. She had brought money with her with the hope that it was enough.

When she reached the grocery shop Kiyone had recommended her, she took a deep breath. She could do it. Passing by the kids who were carelessly fooling around, she walked in.

It felt strange, almost embarrassing as she was unsure of what she was doing, yet she was not one to defect. She looked around her; it was a small store but it was well stocked. Shoveling the rice and the red beans from their sacks, she prayed she collected enough of them because the bags felt like it weighed three hundreds _kanmes_. She calmly asked the cashier how many coins she owned him. She paid for the food ingredients then left more relaxed, bag in hand.

Next, she entered a store that was neared the one she just left. She needed to pick up a cotton bag and a sieve. She gained a tiny bit of insurance. She had successfully made it.

Heading home, she gave the extra money to the children who were playing in front of the first shop. It had no use to her anymore.

Walking, she hoped she wouldn't get caught cooking. It would be troublesome. Kuchikis didn't cook, that was why they had cooks.

When she finally reached her destination, she discreetly went to the kitchen. Since her adoptive brother was away, she had to take this opportunity to practice. Disposing her tools and the ingredients on the kitchen counter, she started working.

She put her heart into it and prepared it the best that she could. She tried it, she spat it. It tasted awful. On the initial attempt, she had boiled the rice too much and it ended up too puffy to look yummy. Besides, her red bean paste was over candied. However, she wouldn't abandon. She still got a few days left to get it right anyway. Even if she was only granted a few hours each day, which was barely enough to finish the said dessert.

Every day for three days, she secretly practiced her culinary skills. On the last day, it still wasn't perfect but there was no other choice now. How she wished she had more time.

Putting everything in a red _bentō_, she made her way to her superior's apartment.

It was already dark outside but the night had just begun. The wind helped her keep a placid façade. A bright star caught got her distracted though. Looking up, she gazed at the starry sky, momentarily forgetting her nervousness for a minute or two, as she was connecting all the stars in an endless knot.

"Kuchiki! What are you doing here?"

She jumped. It was _his_ voice. That definitely wasn't expected. She turned around to face him. He was much, much taller than her.

"K-Kaien-dono! I didn't know you weren't at home." Rukia fretfully stammered.

"Yeah, I'm actually just dropping a thing or two before heading back there." He cheerfully replied, pointing at the bag he was carrying. "I don't want to ruin my precious gifts."

"So? You're quite far from the Kuchiki estates." His breath carried traces of alcohol. He must have been partying a little bit. Or maybe more than just a little bit actually.

It was so awkward for her. She had been caught off guard. He was supposed to be home. Even if she had repeated them all day, the words suddenly didn't sound so right anymore. She tried not to shake but it was hard as she had never done this for anyone before.

"I wanted to give you something." She finally answered.

"What is it? Wait, let's get inside first."

So they did. She kept quiet while Kaien was happily humming on the way to his home. She was feeling much more at ease now.

He eventually opened the door before stepping in, leaving the entrance free. She carefully put her sandals next to his. They looked so ridiculously small in comparison.

Whilst waiting for him to come back, she curiously examined his place. Everything was perfectly in order. It was so peaceful she couldn't help but be aware of the light noises around her. They stirred her curiosity even more yet she remained relatively collected.

Abruptly breaking the silence, she heard a thud then some light footsteps, just before the sound of splashing water. A few moments later, he returned with water still dropping from his messy dark mane, damping his freshly cleaned face. She noticed his wet eyelashes glued together, framing his honest eyes and he was just looking at her. She felt good with him just being here.

He smiled and it was enough to knock down her stoic stance. From her dreamy gaze, he can easily tell she was not focused.

"Kuchiki?"

She blinked, seven times he counted.

Handing him the _bentō_, she simply stated: "It's for you, Kaien-dono."

He took the box, their fingers touching and thus making her heart skip a beat. It didn't help that she didn't quite understand why she was feeling flushed or why she was feeling hot either.

Within a moment, he had promptly opened it. He let out a grin.

"_Ohagi_ are my favourites. Thank you."

"I hope it tastes alright; I did my best." She said, almost relieved.

Gingerly, he took a shy bite before he suppressed his surging chuckles. She knew it; it tasted funny. She impatiently waited for a reaction, any reaction. It never came though. Anxious, she joined her hands in front of her and looked at her feet.

"Happy birthday, Kaien-dono." Rukia softly wished. He hadn't choked; it was a good sign.

With his index finger, he gently tilted her head up. For a lingering moment, they looked at each other and suddenly, they were gone.

For a moment, he forgot that he was her superior. Lost in her purplish stare, he could only see her, just her. He could tell her soul was pure and beautiful. But he was also slightly drunk, and it's enough to make him want to do something: something reckless that he could put the blame on his ethylic friend. It'd be easy and natural to give in to his desires.

For a moment, she forgot how tiny she was next to him. He was close; she could walk on his feet if she took two small steps closer. What if he leaned a little bit down and if she drew herself up? What if their lips met? She had lost the track of time, they both had. She was here with him and that was the only thing that mattered.

And that was when he lightly stroked her left cheek with his thumb and slowly moved his head down.

She could feel his body heat. It was warm and fuzzy, making her feel cozy.

"Thank you, Rukia." He whispered, just before kissing the corner of her mouth. He lingered there for a few seconds, almost moving his lips to press them against hers but backed away in time.

They landed down in an instant.

He needed to confess a few things to her first and she deserved to hear them, only right now wasn't a good time. People would start looking for him if he didn't show in twenty minutes; but when he was with her, he didn't want to be disturbed. Especially not if something was to happen between them. Twenty minutes wasn't anywhere enough to tell her or do what he wanted.

And there was the real reason; he wanted her too much. He knew she'd let him do whatever he wanted with her; it was all over her face. Or at least, he liked to think so. He didn't trust himself at the moment; he could go too for or even be too eager but he wanted her to know he meant to be with her for real.

He took a step back to have a clear view of her petite figure.

Her cheeks had a rosy tint of a blooming lotus and it was absolutely adorable.

"I hope you have a great time, Kaien-dono."

He didn't reply. He could ask her to come but that wouldn't be a good idea, for various reasons. Mainly because he doubted Kuchiki Byakuya would be pleased to know she had attended a party with drinkers like Sentarō and Kiyone…

And with that, she left, letting him inhale the ambient fresh air. The distance made him realized how warm she truly made him feel.

First thing tomorrow then, if his hangover wasn't too bad, he would kiss her. And maybe more.

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><p><em><span>Notes<span>:_

- _Ohagi_ is a Japanese treat but also Kaien's favourite food.  
>- 1 <em>kan<em> or _kamne_ (貫or 貫目) is 3.75 kg, 8.267 lb.  
>- If you're feeling curious, you can check up the auspicious Buddhist symbols and meaning of colours in the Japanese culture.<p>

And don't forget to visit the FC! and leave a review :D Thank you for reading (:


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